Cinereous Clouds
by jerna.collins
Summary: She's convinced that she's nothing but a pest in his life. But the fog in her mind will vanish once he tells her the truth. (Gruvia)


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

**Cinereous Clouds**

A One Shot (Gruvia Fan fiction)

She regrets that she agreed to have lunch with a certain white haired ice mage from Lamia Scale. She only said yes to him because she thought that granting one of his dying wishes to spend an hour or two with her alone would be the only way for him to stop bothering her.

Well, maybe it will work or maybe it wouldn't change a thing at all.

The lunch with Lyon wasn't bad, Juvia decides, it's just the 'things' they talked about that's not right at all. What he told her was like a slap in the face. It's like she'd been poured down a steaming kettle of boiling water. It hurt just thinking about it.

She knows that she shouldn't believe a single word Lyon said to her, having the knowledge that he would do everything in order for Juvia to love him back. But he sounded true. It's like he gave her a warning to cut all the strings and lines she has connected to Gray Fullbuster. It was like an alarm, screaming in front of her face to wake up from whatever delusion she has for the raven haired man.

The big question is: WAS EVERYTHING HE SAID TRUE?

"Hey, Juvia," Lucy interrupts her and she is thankful for it somehow. Lucy plops on a chair across her from the table near the bar inside the guild. "You look sad."

She slowly lifts her eyes to Lucy's brown orbs but couldn't hold her stare for long. "Juvia's just tired," she says.

Lucy reaches for her hand and offers her a warm smile. "You could tell me anything, you know." She leans in and whispers almost too loudly, "Gray's worried, you see."

Juvia laughs, as cheerful as she could make it to be. "You're just trying to cheer Juvia up, Lucy-san."

"Partly yes, and partly what I said was true," she answers. She tells Juvia to just call her if she doesn't have anyone else to tell her problems and troubles to and she goes back to her table where Erza, Natsu and Gray are.

Juvia tries her best not to look at them, or at least not at Gray. She doesn't want to be angry with him. Heck, she never was and never will be mad at him. She told herself that she'll wait forever, if that's what it takes.

Cana then comes out of nowhere and sits on top of the table with Juvia, hugging a barrel of wine. "You've got a problem?" she asks, a little sloppily.

"Everyone has one, Cana-san," Juvia replies, forcing a smile at the intoxicated mage.

"Oh, I just have one solution to every one of them," she answers. She lifts the barrel to drink, taking big gulps. She hiccups and turns her attention back to Juvia. "See what I did? That's the key to all your obstacles." And she laughs at her own words.

_Maybe it is the answer to _your _problem. And it is about to be Juvia's, too._

"Cana-san," she says with a hint of hesitation. "Could Juvia have a drink, too?"

Cana smirks at her. Mirajane seems to overhear their conversation since their table is near the bar. "Oh my," the white haired girl says. She gets a mug for Juvia to use it, considering that she's not a doctorate when it comes to drinking compared to Cana.

"Thank you, Mira-san," Juvia says.

Cana pours some wine on Juvia's mug and thinks; _well; at least I'm helping her._

* * *

Even though Gray isn't completely facing Juvia's direction, he could still see from the corner of his eye if what she's doing. This isn't like her at all. And why on earth did Cana invite the blue haired mage to join her little wine drinking session?

"There's something bothering Juvia," Lucy says, her eyes fixed on the water mage and her current partner in drowning their problems.

"I can feel it, too," Erza says, a little concerned. "She had lunch with Lyon, yes? She may not be happy to give him a chance but why does she have to solve it through intoxication?"

Gray's fist tightens. "That jerk doesn't really know when to give up, does he?" he says, referring to Lyon.

"He lllliiiiiiiikes her," Happy says while hovering over their heads.

Erza looks at Juvia for a moment, her mind thinking of what to do. Getting drunk just because you had lunch with a guy you don't like isn't a good enough reason. Getting drunk because she just feels like it isn't a good one, too.

_Drinking an alcoholic beverage, _Lucy thinks. _You drink it when you're troubled ; when you have a problem; you're running away from something or you're drowning all your hurts with every gulp of that stuff._

Number four seems to be the reason.

Because of too much wine, troubles, uncertainty and all, Juvia places her mug on the table and Cana says she's going to join Wakaba and Macao. Juvia nods her head and falls asleep in her own arms.

* * *

Gray's just done with one of his usual brawls with Natsu—Erza became their referee with that round and booming voice of hers that made them place an arm around each other's shoulder saying, "Aye!"

The two men plop on their seat, panting yet still smiling. Natsu looks around and sees that Juvia is still asleep. "Man, the alcohol must have really gotten into her," he says.

Lucy is concerned—even worried—at the moment. "The sky's getting dark," she says.

She looks at the wall clock inside their guild and time sure does fly. It's nearly five-thirty.

"We better go home now, Happy," Natsu says at the blue cat.

"Aye!" he exclaims.

"Why don't you come join us, Lucy?" Natsu offers with a smile.

"Sure," she says cheerfully but worry is still overpowering her.

Both stand up and say goodbye to everyone else in the guild and leave.

"Gray," Erza says. "I have to check out the new armors that arrived today at a store in town. You take Juvia home."

"What?!" he says, a little bit annoyed and shocked.

"She's drunk. No one really knows what would happen if she'll go home alone in that state she's currently in."

In the name of friendship, Gray obeys Erza.

_What harm would it be to accompany an intoxicated water mage back to her dormitory? _He thinks.

Before Erza leaves, she whispers to Gray, "And find out if what's bothering her."

"But—"

She glares at him, with such eyes that could turn soft with concern and suddenly hard with authority. "Yes, ma'am," Gray says. "But why me?" he asks almost helplessly.

"Because she trusts you more than anyone else in this guild," she says and leaves.

At least that makes sense.

He approaches Juvia and shakes her slightly, trying to wake her up.

"Hey, it's getting dark outside."

She all but mumbles his name in her sleep.

"The hell with it," he tells himself and he carries her on his back.

* * *

She's relaxing on his back, her arms resting on his shoulders, her fingers intertwined near his chest. He could feel her breathing on him.

Why on earth did she drink too much if she can't handle herself?

"Gray-sama," she murmurs as she's beginning to comprehend that she is currently being carried by her beloved.

She wants to die because of so much happiness right now. It's not like Gray Fullbuster just brings any drunken girl back home. But then a dark cloud fogs her mind, reminding her of her little chat with Lyon.

"Put Juvia down," she says, a little panicked.

Gray rolls his eyes. "You're unable to walk in that state," he says.

"Juvia can walk," she insists.

"But not straight, anyway."

"Put Juvia down," she repeats.

And he does. She marches ahead of him. She looks clumsy and sloppy as she paces. Gray wants to chuckle about how cute and funny she is at the moment if only he's not irritated by the fact that Juvia Lockser—his number one fan girl and his number one stalker doesn't want to be carried by him.

"Wait up," he says.

"What do you want?" she asks.

"Whoa," he says. "Erza just told me to bring you back to Fairy Hills safely."

"Juvia could handle herself," she says, thrusting her chin up in the air.

"I know you could damn well but not now."

"Just go away, Gray-sama," she says, trying to suppress her tears.

"Not until I see you entering the dormitory door without scratches," he answers.

Calculating in her mind that Gray doesn't give up so easily and that he doesn't leave an obligation unfinished, she decides not to drive him away. It's useless; so all she could do is stay silent, holding her tears back in and she'll let it all out later when she's alone.

* * *

As soon as she enters Fairy Hills, she speeds up the stairs. She turns to the right where her room is located. She gets the key from her pocket and she fumbles with it, her hands shaking because of anger and frustration.

As soon as she enters her room, she slams herself on her bed and begins to cry. Out of habit, she grabs her Gray-sama stuff toy and hugs it close to her heart.

* * *

Gray is satisfied that he brought Juvia home safely, if not, Erza would probably skin him tomorrow. As he's just about to turn back to return to his own place, he remembers that there's another thing the scarlet haired mage asked him to do: find out what's bothering her.

He knows he can't enter the dormitory; it's a strict rule that no man is allowed to get inside—maybe except for Happy since he once said that this rule doesn't apply on him since he's a cat.

There's nothing Gray could do at the moment except to wait until she comes out; if she ever will.

* * *

Juvia looks at the stuff toy in her hands and remembers what Lyon said. She stands up and she grabs a knife from the little kitchen area inside her room and she decides to go to the beach behind Fairy Hills.

She changes into flip flops and because of so much anger and other feelings bottled up inside her need to be released, she walks quickly.

She doesn't even have enough time to admire the remaining light of day and the budding darkness of the night up in the sky. As soon she sits down near the shore; the soft waves soaking some parts of her outfit and feet, she begins to stab her Gray-sama stuff toy, while tears run down her face.

* * *

Gray finds it awkward to wait in front of the dormitory, so he's going to go the beach—he knows this because he's been here before along with other Fairy Tail members—but he's never been inside the actual dorm, of course. And the cool look on his face fades when he sees someone repeatedly stabbing something with a knife.

He runs toward that figure and indeed, it is Juvia. She's pinning a stuff toy on the ground with her left hand that utterly looks like him while her right stabs it again and again in the chest, face, everywhere.

"What are you doing?" Gray asks.

Juvia doesn't look up at him. "Go away."

"What is it with you today?" he asks, getting angry.

She stops and looks at him with tear filled eyes, her lashes seem to be shining due to the tears. "What is it with Juvia?! That's not it. What is it with YOU?" she says.

Gray is getting a bit confused. "I don't understand."

"Of course, you don't," she says. "Juvia is nothing but an annoyance in your life, right? You hate Juvia. You are disgusted by her because she follows you around. Juvia ruins your image because you get embarrassed every time she declares her love for you. Juvia is nothing more than a pest in Gray-sama's life."

She turns her attention back to the battered stuff toy and starts stabbing it again.

"Stop it, damn it," Gray says.

She does as she's told—an old habit.

"Who the hell told you that?" Gray asks.

"You don't have to know," Juvia answers.

"No . . . I mean, shit. Did you just make that up?"

"Juvia didn't. It's the truth. It's what Gray-sama thinks of her."

"I don't think of you that way, damn it," he curses. "Whether it's all in your mind or some bastard told you that; it's a big fat lie."

Now Juvia is the one getting confused. "Juvia doesn't get it."

Gray takes a deep breath, calming himself down. "I said: that's not what I think of you."

"Then what do you think of Juvia? Lyon-sama said that you told him that since you exchange secrets most of the time."

"Hold on a minute. That pointy eyed bastard said that? How could he—oh. Oh," Gray says, understanding the whole thing.

Come to think of it: Lyon envies Gray that Juvia is in love with him. Lyon's doing everything he can to catch Juvia's attention, to snatch her away from Gray. He probably made that lie up so that Juvia will hate Gray and hoping, one day, Juvia will run into Lyon's goddamned arms.

"I get it now," Gray says to a confused Juvia. He takes another deep breath and explains things to her as clearly and simply as he could.

"So, it's all not true?" Juvia asks. The knife is already left on the ground as she hugs her massacred Gray-sama stuff toy.

"All of it is a lie that bastard made up," Gray says. "Whatever happens, all the things he told you this afternoon is the exact opposite of what I think of you."

Juvia nods her head, happy by the fact that she's been worrying and depressing over nothing at all.

Her mind slowly begins to clear from her dark thoughts. The cinereous clouds vanished into thin air, making her cling to nothing but what Gray said is true.

* * *

**A/N:** wrote this for hours and I hope it's worth it. To those who left their reviews on my previous fics, I really appreciate it and it makes me glad that there are people that put their time into reading my stories. I was listening to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" while writing this, trying to achieve the dark, sad yet not entirely tragic theme. My first idea for this story is still the same but instead of Juvia stabbing a stuff toy, she was supposed to cut her hair, since she was convinced that prettifying herself for Gray is useless but I thought it was a bit ridiculous. I don't even know if this story is good or what, so just lemme knowXD I will gladly read them.


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